The votes are in, and it's official. This East Central Indiana rail-trail is now a national hall-of-famer.

The Cardinal Greenway, the longest rail-trail in Indiana that stretches nearly 62 miles from Marion through Muncie to Richmond, was one of five nominees this year for the national Rail-Trail Hall of Fame. The local trail secured more than 50 percent of the vote to become the Rail-to-Trail Conservancy's (RTC) 32nd inductee, according to a release.

"Twenty-five years since the community came together around a regional economic development vision, the trail has proven to be a powerful asset that delivers," RTC president Keith Laughlin said in a prepared statement.

Cardinal Greenways CEO Angie Pool said the honor is "an acknowledgement of decades of hard work to bring this treasured prize to the neighbors and neighborhoods along the route."

The Cardinal Greenway holds arched steel embellishments over nine bridge crossings and modern stone markers at every half-mile, according to a release. Stops along the trail include Victorian Queen Anne and Wysor Street depots, both on the National Register of Historic Places. It also offers scenic views of Muncie’s White River.

Other nominees were the Tunnel Hill State Trail in Illinois, Snohomish County Centennial Trail in Washington, Raccoon River Valley Trail in Iowa and Wood River Trail in Idaho.

RTC is a nonprofit organization working to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors, according to its website.

More information on Cardinal Greenways: cardinalgreenways.org.

Audrey Kirby is a reporter at the Star Press. Follow her on Twitter @ajanekirby, and email her story ideas: ajkirby@muncie.gannett.com.